Tag Archives: Reduced Sugar

Editor’s note: This is a guest post for the American Diabetes Association. It will be featured in the ADA Tour de Cure’s Twin Cities July Red Rider Reader.

New Note (added after original publishing): I mentioned in the original post that I would try making pumpkin maple bars in the future. I made some last night and they were a hit! They were so very good that I will definitely make them again! After posting a picture of them on Facebook last night, I had several requests for the recipe. I have updated this post to reflect the addition of Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal Bars (seen below the Banana Chocolate Almond Bar recipe!)

Hello Red Riders! How is your summer going? Did you enjoy the Tour de Cure this year? I had a blast! It could not have been a more perfect day – weather wise and everything else too. Plus we raised a lot of money to help STOP diabetes. Yay! We had 1,805 riders and so far raised more than $630,000! Woohoo! It is wonderful to see so many people come together for a great cause. And as someone living with Type 1 diabetes I sincerely appreciate each person’s hard-earned efforts helping us move closer to a cure for diabetes. It fills my heart with so much gratitude and hope. I’m already looking forward to next year! June 1, 2013 is the date. Mark your calendars!

I received a special request for this month’s recipe for the Red Rider Reader – ENERGY BARS!! I thought this was a great idea as we are out cycling and active this summer. A healthy energy bar is an ideal snack for anyone before, during or after cycling or any other exercise. Thanks for this fabulous suggestion Janeece Oatman! Janeece is the amazingly talented and passionate Associate Director for the Twin Cities & Rochester, Minnesota Tour de Cure rides. Continue reading →

Hello friends! Christmas is upon us! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and the ones you love! As I write, I have a beautiful fragrant Christmas tree lit up in my living room and Christmas music playing in the background. I got to thinking about Christmas cookies and wanted to share a recipe with you the way I like to bake: lightlysweetened (reduced/low sugar). Nervous if you will enjoy a cookie with not as much sweetness? Read on. If you are just stopping by for the recipe and not further information on reduced sugar baking and how I came to bake this way, scroll right to the bottom of the post.

I am not sure if it is the amount of years I have had diabetes (25 years in February, 2012) or the age I currently am, (36), but cane sugar and I are just not pals anymore. This includes white granulated sugar at the top of my list, but also powdered sugar and brown sugar. Continue reading →